Page 10 of Rise of the Siren Queen
The air felt heavier around her, thick with tension, almost humming with energy. I felt it, too, an unspoken warning that whatever answers I sought wouldn’t come easily. But I had to try. I needed to understand what I had gotten myself into.
She tilted her head slightly, her silvery hue shifting as she moved, the light catching the subtle glint of her hair like the surface of water beneath a full moon. Her gaze held mine, piercing and unyielding.
“My name is Iryen Vasillis,” she said, her voice smooth but carrying a weight, “and you’re in the Moon Pond. And who you would be?”
The name meant nothing to me, but the way she said it, like a title or a legacy, gave me pause. There was reverence in her tone, asthough her name carried meaning far beyond a simple introduction.
She spoke of herself in a way that was sacred, almost untouchable, as if her existence intertwined with this place.
“I’m Adrian Nikolai,” I replied, the words slipping out, though they felt almost out of place here. A sharp reluctance edged my tone.
Anxiety clawed at me, a creeping sensation that I was on the verge of a dangerous situation. I didn’t like where this was going, not at all.
The stillness of the water and the intensity of her gaze felt charged, as if the very air around us held secrets. The tension between us was palpable, like a taut string ready to snap at any moment.
“Why are you here?” I pressed, my voice cutting through the quiet like a challenge. I needed to take control of this chaos somehow, but everything felt like it was slipping further out of my grasp.
Iryen didn’t flinch. She seemed to study me, gaze lingering on my eyes a little too long, like she was trying to pull something from me.
What was she looking for?
I could almost see the gears turning behind those emerald eyes, weighing something I couldn’t comprehend. There was a quiet intensity about her, a certainty that unnerved me. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to sway her.
“We have kept you here under unusual circumstances,” she said finally… “And my council has decided that I am to oversee your containment.”
“Containment?” I echoed, disbelief creeping into my voice. “Council?” What was she talking about? I felt a surge of anger, a burning irritation at the absurdity of it all. This entire situation was madness.
My eyes narrowed, my voice roughening with growing discontent. “You mean lock me up? What place is this?”
Containment? What was I, a prisoner now? The more I tried to understand, the more it felt like I was drowning in questions withno way out.
Her deep emerald eyes locked onto mine with an unwavering intensity that unnerved me.
“You’re not a prisoner,” she said, her voice calm yet firm, “but you will remain here, at least until we understand who you are and whether you’re a threat to our existence.”
Her words sent a chilly shiver through me, though I fought to keep my expression steady.
A threat? To their existence?
What the fuck I got myself into? Had I seen some shady business? Was she the head of some illegal shit? No, my father had ties with all illicit activity in Thalassa and they don’t host base on this island.
Instead of backing down, I stepped forward, closing the distance between us, feeling the heat of my frustration boiling over. Her silvery hue seemed to brighten, almost like she was preparing herself for a fight.
“You think I’m a threat? You hardly know me.” I drawled, masking the confusion and anger tearing through my veins with mockery. “You know that I’m not going to just sit here and be ‘contained,’ as you put it. Right?” My lips formed a grin even as the word left a bitter taste on my tongue, branding me with something I didn’t ask for, didn’t deserve.
I turned sharply, frustration boiling within me.
Screw this.
Sick of this mess, I stalked toward one of the narrow gaps between the walls, expecting it to lead anywhere but here.
But it didn’t. It led nowhere. A dead end. I huffed, the sound echoing in the cave like some mocking reminder of how trapped I was. Jaw clenched, I pivoted and headed toward another passage, determined to find an exit, a way out of this insanity. There had to be a way. There always was.
But I was wrong.
Each twist and turn brought me to the same disheartening result, a dead end. My frustration mounted with every failed attempt, the disorienting twists blurring my sense of direction.
After what felt like hours, I found myself back at the turquoise pool. Its serene beauty, which once felt enchanting, now stood in stark contrast to the storm brewing inside me. I leaned against the cool rock, my situation finally sinking in.
